Nitesh Kumar

Supplier Quality/Incoming Quality :

• Manage all quality-related issues within the manufacturing team(e.g. internal, supplier, customer and customer warranty).
• Conducting risk-based annual surveillance audits of current supply base and drive supplier closure of all findings.
• Monitor supplier performance and develop / implement effective action plans to improve poor performing suppliers.
• Work with suppliers to develop their Quality system in line with IATF 16949/ISO 9001 QMS requirements.
• Coordinate PPAP request, review of PPAP record and approval for all supplier PPAPs.
• Develop and coordinate the implementation of specific quality methodologies and improvement tools (APQP, PPAP, 8D, SPC, etc.) as they relate to our suppliers.
• Interface with customers and vendors to provide technical support for our products and assure quality of incoming materials.
• Monitor and report supplier performance (KPIs), quality issues, and development actions.
• Perform on-site supplier visits for root cause analysis and verification of correction actions of supplier quality issues.
• Develop and drive department projects such as reducing the need for incoming inspections, vendor to stock improvement, electronic certificates of compliance.
• Undertake special projects as required & delegated by Top Mgmt.

QMS Implementation & Maintenance :

• Responsible for operating Quality Management System (QMS), ISO 14001(EHS), ISO 45001(OH&SMS), writing procedures and processes to support management systems development.
• Serve as interface with external 3rd party auditors and 2nd party customer auditor.
• Assist in preparation for 3rd party management system certification audits & customer audits & assist with closure of related audit non-conformances.
• Maintain Quality Manuals and Quality Procedures and ensure contents are appropriate for business.
• Organize and manage plant internal audit system and corrective action reporting system.
• Coordinate review of Quality procedures associated with plant continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide data pertaining to QMS processes to location Lead Team as part of periodic Management Reviews.

Customer Quality Support :

• Build strong, working relationships with major customer stakeholders.
• Reporting customer what the root causes were to quality issues, the containment measures and corrective actions taken to ensure resolution.
• To provide a first point of contact for the Customer about quality related issues.
• Manage the customer specific requirements and offer technical support.
• Documents preparation based on customer specific requirement.

Financial Budget & Control :

• Support Functional head Preparing the annual Quality budget and forecasts and all Capital Expenditure proposals as well as ensuring compliance with legal standards. Manage the budget from identification to completion of projects.

Process Quality Assurance :

• Performs process capability assessment for new/existing equipment and as part of process change management.
• Analyze Process Quality metrics such as internal scrap rate/internal DPPM. Analyze statistical data and product/process performance, evaluate results and recommend action plans to close gaps.
• Drive investigation and elimination of the root causes of complex quality problems, promptly prepare & follow up corrective actions by using best practice and quality tools (5-Why, Ishikawa, 8D, Drill Deep Drill Wide.etc.).
• Ensuring adherence to quality standards, implementing stringent quality control systems and reduce rejection level & rework.
• Actively lead the reduction of Customer PPMs (Parts Per Million), Warranty, Cost of Quality and in-house scrap and waste.
• Work to prevent non-conformances, customer complaints, concession and rework alongside Manufacturing/ Engineering and Operations to develop corrective and preventative actions
• Take part in formulate, maintain of Quality Planning Documents (CP, PFMEA) in line with relevant procedures, for new process / products as well as changes required in series.
• Take part in verification, validation of series production in case of Engineering Changes & provide necessary outcomes.
• Participate or delegate technician for QRQC process in production at related quality problem-solving activities.
• Recommends sampling plans and analyzes data via hypothesis testing, normal distribution and process capability analysis tests.

Supplier Quality/ Incoming Quality :

• Represents SQA on New Product Development (NPD) cross-functional team (CFT).
• Interfaces among multiple teams such as R&D, Operations, and Marketing to ensure specific product development metrics are met.
• Work closely with Engineering to identify Key Product Characteristics required for adequate flow down to our suppliers.
• Schedule and participate in Supplier visits to review APQP progress and launch readiness.
• Managing programs and APQP activities for HVAC & Hose assemblies from kick off.
• Create and submit APQP/ PPAP documentation for HVAC & hose assy.
• Review and approve supplier PPAP's and trial runs & initiate plans for corrective action as required.
• Ensure that customer requirements are incorporated into product functional specifications.
• Manage engineering changes as it relates to suppliers from the initiation of the change to the finalization of the PPAP.
• Perform or lead root cause analysis on purchased part or product quality issues during early launch.
• Manage process qualification at supplier (control plan and quality basics implementation, mass production trial & process Audit).
• Support and attend customer meetings and customer process reviews/audits.
• Active participation in MSIL VSA & Responsible for implementation of VSA Activity.
• Develops and writes internal specifications, work instructions, supplier part specifications, and internal test methods.
• Handle process improvements at supplier facilities backed up by SPC data (Cp, CpK, P Chart, Xbar, etc.).
• Create, document and implement inspection criteria and procedures.
• Convey specifications and technical needs to vendors.
• Initiate process improvement projects to increase efficiency, reduce costs, simplify processes and improve quality.